BETWEEN LANGUAGE SUPPORT AND ACTIVISM

Abstract

This article outlines the extent to which journalists working in European minority-language media believe that their journalistic role within the community is strictly professional or alternatively should incorporate a complementary function as language supporters or activists. A weighted and reasonably representative survey of 230 journalists from 10 European minority-language communities (Basque, Catalan, Galician, Corsican, Breton, Frisian, Irish, Welsh, Scottish-Gaelic, and Sámi) indicates that journalists favour a journalistic professional activity which incorporates a role as language-backing actors. This may underlie the idea of a contextual approach to the concept of journalism.

Keywords:

• European minority-language journalists
• journalism functions
• language support

Acknowledgements

We thank journalists, directors, managers and experts of the 10 communities as well as the suggestions of John E. Richardson from Loughborough University. This research project was funded by the Basque Country University.

Notes

1. Regional and minority languages are defined according to the Council of Europe's European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, a definition accepted by the European Union. Accordingly, “regional or minority language” mean “languages that are: (i) traditionally used within a given territory of a State by nationals of that State who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the State's population; and (ii) different from the official language(s) of that State”. This does not include either the dialects of the official language(s) of the State or the languages of migrants (European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, article 1, Council of Europe, 1992).

2. Populist mobilizer dimensions: let people express views; develop cultural interests; motivate people to get involved; point to possible solutions; set the political agenda.

3. Sample size in each community: (1) Catalan sample: 82 questionnaires; population estimate, 3677 journalists; (2) Basque sample: 31 questionnaires; population estimate, 650 journalists; (3) Galician sample: 25 questionnaires; population estimate, 460 journalists; (4) Irish sample, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland: 17 questionnaires; population estimate, 121 journalists; (5) Sámi sample: 17 questionnaires; population estimate, 103 journalists; (6) Welsh sample: 15 questionnaires; population estimate, 95 journalists; (7) Frisian journalists: 10 questionnaires; 81 journalists; (8) Breton sample: 11 questionnaires; population estimate, 51 journalists; (9) Scottish-Gaelic sample: 12 questionnaires; population estimate, 35 journalists; (10) Corsican sample: 10 questionnaires; population estimate, 28 journalists.

4. The wording of the questionnaire was: “The role of the journalist before the community [heading]. In this section we want to know the opinion the interviewee has about his/her role and relationship with the minority language community. Question on the current role: As a journalist, what do you feel is your actual role in the minority language community? Question on the potential role: In your opinion, what role should a minority language journalist play before the community?” For the “other” category, public media journalists had a supplementary option named “Public employee/functionary”.

5. The highest value of the range is a decimal point below the number shown (i.e. 39.9 per cent) in all the categories and ranges presented in this section.

6. N=216 journalists. χ²=20.1; p=0.00263; null hypothesis is rejected.

7. N=216 journalists. χ²=16.6; p=0.01091; null hypothesis rejected.

8. Age groups: 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–65.